doesn't/don't

[Barbara Need]

>>>A friend of mine, Banjo Jan, has been bugging me about this subject
>>>for the past month or so.
>>>
>>>I do not know the answer so I thought I would put it up on this list.
>>>
>>>Does anyone on this list know when "doesn't" replaced "don't" as the
>>>first personal singular in correct usage?
>>
>>It hasn't as far as I know.
>>
>>You mean: I doesn't know who he is? I doesn't care about that? I
>>can't say that.
>
>It's a VERY recent change; you might have missed it.

Well, I know I am often behind the times in adopting linguistic
innovations, but you would think I would have heard about this. :-)

>Seriously, I think Page meant "was replaced by" rather than "replaced".

That's not an improvement. doesn't was never standard for 1 person singular.

Barbara Need
UChicago--Linguistics